The Adoration of the Three Kings
(Renaissance Europe )
Three wise men, or magi, from the East are described in the Gospels as having seen a new star and journeyed to pay tribute to the child marked as divine by the heavens. The wise men were often depicted as kings, and, by the Renaissance, the youngest was frequently depicted as an African, here holding a gold vessel containing myrrh, a precious resin from Arabia and Africa used for perfume. His portrayal reflects both the ethnic diversity encountered by Renaissance painters in a port like Venice, frequented by African traders, and also the concept of Christ's promise of salvation for all people.
The splendor of the kings contrasts with the simplicity of the Holy Family. Chubby little angels sing the words inscribed on the scroll "Glory to God in Heaven and Peace to Men on Earth," accompanied by others playing flutes and a violin.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Pinacoteca Manfrin, Venice, prior to September, 1872 [cat. no. 51] (?); Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
2012-2013 | Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton. |
Conservation
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
Examination | examined for condition | |
1/1/1900 | Examination | examined for condition |
7/14/1938 | Treatment | cradle removed; other |
11/3/1975 | Treatment | cleaned; coated; filled; inpainted; varnish removed or reduced |
10/24/2011 | Examination | examined for loan |
Geographies
Italy, Venice (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface including strip at bottom H: 26 5/8 x W: 31 15/16 x D excluding cradle: 5/16 in. (67.7 x 81.2 x 0.8 cm); Framed H: 36 1/4 x W: 41 1/2 x D: 2 3/4 in. (92.08 x 105.41 x 6.99 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.261